48 Station Road to be Vacated by Year End

Haringey Council has approved the relocation of its Young Adult Services team from 48 Station Road, with the building set to be vacated by the end of 2026. The move is part of a wider strategy to consolidate services and improve cost efficiency, aiming to maximize operational efficiency by providing a centralized location for the team and clients.

Councillor Ruth Gordon, Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Local Economy, signed off on the procurement and tender of works for the relocation of the team to the ground floor of the Clarendon Road College building. This decision is a key component of the Council's Shaping Wood Green Strategy, which aims to decommission and vacate several council buildings, including River Park House, Alexandra House, and 40 Cumberland Road, to achieve significant cost savings and optimise the use of existing assets. The strategy also involves the masterplan and regeneration of the Wood Green area and the occupation of a newly refurbished Civic Centre.

The Young Adult Services team, which supports young people aged 16-25 and care leavers up to 25, currently operates from 48 Station Road. The new accommodation at Clarendon Road College will house the team of 60 staff, with an additional six to be recruited. The first floor of the Clarendon Road College building will be occupied by the Parking and Civil Enforcement team.

The new space at Clarendon Road College will facilitate a range of services for young people, including targeted and holistic support for those aged 16-25 and care leavers up to 25 as they transition to independent adulthood. Assistance will be provided for developing independent living skills, accessing and sustaining education, training, and employment, advocacy services, and health and wellbeing support. The team will also offer resettlement and housing support to enable access to stable long-term accommodation, as well as intake, assessment, and ongoing support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, including assistance with immigration pathways and applications for settled status. The redesigned and reconfigured ground floor includes the addition of secure interview rooms, a secure reception room, a large secure training room, and welfare facilities, with increased CCTV and door entry security.

Consultations were held with the Young Adult Services team, who contributed to the redesign of the ground floor space. The Finance team has also confirmed the prudence of the proposal, which is expected to lead to substantial savings on building costs. The running costs for Clarendon Road are estimated at £68,431.32 per year, a significant reduction from the £311,000 annual cost of 48 Station Road.

The relocation is anticipated to ensure the vacant possession of 48 Station Road, aligning with the Council's Accommodation Strategy, the Wood Green Central Programme, and the Corporate Delivery Plan priority to decarbonise. This priority, a cross-cutting aim within the Council's Corporate Delivery Plan, seeks to create safe, clean neighbourhoods and promote longer, healthier lives. By enabling the decommissioning and vacation of operationally expensive buildings like 48 Station Road, the relocation reduces the overall carbon footprint associated with maintaining and operating those buildings.

The estimated refurbishment budget for the relocation is £1,200,000, funded from the approved General Fund capital programme. The total programme duration for the procurement and refurbishment of the ground floor at Clarendon Road College is approximately 45 weeks, with the refurbishment works themselves scheduled for 20 weeks. The project is expected to be completed around April 2026.

Alternative options considered included maintaining operations at 48 Station Road, which would have perpetuated high operational costs and hindered the Shaping Wood Green Strategy. Another option, relocating to 10 Bruce Grove, was dismissed due to the estimated £385,000 required for extensive structural works in the basement, which excluded any reconfiguration or alteration works, and its less central location within the vicinity of Wood Green.

Once vacated by the Young Adult Services team, the 48 Station Road building is intended for decommissioning and eventual disposal or repurposing, aligning with the 'Shaping Wood Green Strategy' and the 'Wood Green Central Programme' as the area is earmarked for redevelopment.

The decision was documented in the Printed minutes 12th-Mar-2026 10.30 Cabinet Member Signing.